Chemical Warfare Service Technical Committee

Bonds between the USCWC and the Chemical Warfare Service were very close. On almost all subcommittees there was a plurality of CWS officers. The chairman and his principal assistant were the Chief, CWS, and his Assistant Chief for Field Operations. The various secretaries were CWS officers, and the Office of the Chief, CWS, provided the clerical assistance and most of the statistical and technical information on chemical warfare. It would appear that, although other organizations and nations had representation on the USCWC, the Chemical Warfare Service exerted the greatest amount of influence on decisions arrived at by the committee. 

Gates, M., Williams, J.W., Zapp, J.A. (1946). Arsenicals (Chapter 7). In NDRC (National Defense Research Committee), Chemical Warfare Agents and Related Chemical Problems, Vol. I, Parts I-VI. Summary Technical Report of Division 9, NRDC. Office of Scientific Research and Development, National Defense Research Committee. US Department of Commerce National Technical Information Service. PB158507 andPB158508. 

Congress meanwhile began to study changes needed in military organization in the light of recent war experiences. Since the establishment of the Signal Corps in i860 there had been no additions to the War Department technical services. One of the questions now to be decided was, what should be done about Chemical Warfare This matter was examined carefully by the military affairs committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives. 

Since the CWS had been formed as a service organization to all other branches of the Army, close liaison with them was essential in order to meet their requirements. To fulfill this function General Fries established the Chemical Warfare Technical Committee (CWTC) in March 1920, composed of officers of the CWS and of all combatant branches interested in chemical munitions. After the CWTC was formed its duties were ex-... 

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